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Natural Cold & Flu Remedies

Ah, Autumn. The leaves are changing colours, the air is crisp, and there are Kleenex’s strewn all about my room. The one and only thing I absolutely despise about the change in weather is the fact that my immune system doesn’t seem to want to cooperate with me. Soon the sniffles begin, accompanied with the scratchy throat and that “foggy” feeling that swirls around your head making it nearly impossible to think straight.

That’s right. I have a cold.

I’m not one of those “oh I don’t want to take medication because it’s not all natural” people, but when it comes to a head cold, there’s really only so much you can do. Over the counter medication only helps to relieve your symptoms, but doesn’t allow your body to fight it off (or try to) on it’s own. I am a firm believer in nighttime tablets, though; those things help me sleep, and sleep is one of the main things you need when you’re sick.

Here are a few natural cold & flu remedies I like to rely on when I’m feeling like absolute garbage:

COLD 911 TEA FROM DAVID’S TEA
This is my go-to when I’m sick, or starting to feel a little run down. It’s loaded with peppermint, orange peels and orange oils, eucalyptus oil, and juniper berries. Basically, everything that’s good for you and helps you feel better. It helps with congestion, and it’s soothing to drink something that relieves pressure on your sinuses. I’m not joking when I say that I drink about 3 or 4 cups of this tea a day when I’m sick; it could quite possibly be 5 or 6. I buy this tea by the tin – it’s SO good. It’s a cold fighting super tea. Also, it’s an herbal tea so you can drink a nice, hot cup of it before bed and get right to bed. Head to David’s Tea to learn more about it, and other tea’s.

HOT WATER, GINGER, HONEY AND LEMON
When I have a scratchy, dry throat, I love some hot water with honey and lemon. The honey helps soothe the irritation from coughing and clearing your throat all the time, and the lemon is full of vitamin C, which is pretty great for you and helps your body fight off the cold. If you’re not feeling a hot beverage, a spoonful of honey is great when you can’t stop coughing. Ginger is great for soothing an upset stomach, but also provides extra help in fighting the flu and the common cold.

OIL OF OREGANO
Exactly like it sounds, it’s oregano oil. You can find it at Shoppers Drug Mart or Rexall, and it comes in both liquid and pill form. It tastes absolutely horrible, so I recommend the pills. But, if you can stomach the taste (it’s really not THAT bad), it does speed up it’s effect. Just place a few drops underneath your tongue (this part of your mouth is the thinnest and it’ll help the oil of oregano enter your system faster), and wait around 30 seconds, or as long as you possibly can. Oil of oregano is especially effective if you begin taking it before you get sick; when you feel that first little scratch in your throat, run, don’t walk, and use this.

EPSOM SALT BATHS WITH EUCALYPTUS OIL
Epsom salt baths are great for muscle aches and pains. If you add a drop or two of eucalyptus oil to the mix, you’ve got a bath that smells great, will take away those sickly muscle aches, and will help clear out your sinuses. If you don’t feel like taking a bath just fill a medium sized bowl with super hot water and add a few drops to that. Grab a towel and throw it over your head, breathing in the steam and not letting it escape into the air around you.

NETFLIX AND BED
Seriously. Rest. Rest rest rest. The most important thing you can do when you’re feeling under the weather is sleep. When you’re sleeping, your body is trying its hardest to fight off whatever’s going on. The more you rest, the better you feel when you wake up. And Netflix.. well, Netflix just makes everything better.

Off the top of my head, these are just a few things that I do when I feel like absolute death, and other people may have different remedies to offer.